Inter through to last eight

Internazionale did what they had to at San Siro last night, defeating Ajax 1-0 and 3-2 on aggregate in a Champions League second-round second-leg tie to set up a quarter-final against Villarreal.

Inter could even afford the luxury of a missed penalty by Adriano in the 27th minute but Dejan Stankovic, above, scored with a superb curler in the 57th to leave Ajax needing two to progress, a feat well beyond them. Inter have now reached four Champions League quarter-finals in five seasons. The winner of the Inter-Villarreal tie will face Juventus or Arsenal in the semi-final.

The Italians spent much of the first 30 minutes camped in the Ajax half having created their first chance in only the second minute when Adriano's shot rebounded to Luis Figo, who knocked the ball just over. Obafemi Martins soon went even closer but his dipping shot hit the bar from outside the area.

The Italian club missed a string of other chances in a match held over for a week as their co-tenants Milan were using the stadium for their comfortable victory over Bayern Munich.

Last night's game was the first Inter had played in front of a San Siro crowd in Europe's top club competition this season as Uefa had ordered them to play four games behind closed doors after crowd disturbances marred last season's quarter-final defeat by Milan.